Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
LAMPS: I AM NOT LOSING CALVERT-LEWIN
Everton boss insists Dom has big part to play in club’s future: ‘There aren’t too many strikers like him around’
Tomorrow, 4.30pm
FRANK LAMPARD has warned clubs circling around his star striker Dominic Calvert-lewin: ‘He’s our player and he’s going nowhere’.
The England forward has cut a forlorn figure this campaign, with no goals since the opening fortnight of the season, and recurrent injury reducing him to just six starts since the new boss arrived in January.
With the Blues embroiled in a relegation fight, there has been speculation Calvert-lewin will seek a fresh start elsewhere in the summer, with Manchester United and Arsenal linked to him.
Yet victory this weekend over Brentford at Goodison will dramatically ease fears of the drop and go a long to securing Everton’s Premier League future, and their striker’s presence next season.
Lampard, for his part, insisted he wants Calvert-lewin (below) to stay.
“He is a fantastic striker, a pedigree striker and there are simply not that many around,” the manager said.
“He has three years left on his contract, and I want to take this club forward. A player of
Dominic’s ability can help that – he is our player and that’s it.”
Lampard also revealed he had been in constant dialogue with the player, as tried to nurse him back to fitness. And despite a difficult season, during which Everton plunged into the bottom three, he had heard nothing from the striker to suggest he would attempt to force through a move in the summer. Lampard added: “He has not said anything to me like that, he trains well. “We communicate a lot and he’s not said anything along those line. I’m not silly, this is football, so I am aware of the way things can go. “Dominic’s been a big player for Everton, and Everton have been big for him in his career, so that should be the story.”
The Blues have two home games in the next five days, and four points, from fixtures against Brentford and then Palace, would be enough to secure their Premier League future, with such a massive goal difference advantage over rivals Leeds.
But Lampard doesn’t want his players to take their eye of the ball now they are edging closer to safety.
He has told his side: “It’s vital now, absolutely crucial, that we invest everything in keeping up the intensity to the end of the season.
“We have got ourselves in a good position, but it is so important now we don’t relax, and keep pushing to get the job done.
“It is up to us to get it over the line, and then after that the club will look at ourselves, to see how we improve ourselves.
“We are already looking at things, in terms of signings, and other areas.”
Lampard could have centre-back Ben Godfrey in his squad for Sunday, but veteran midfielder Fabian Delph, such an important figure in recent weeks, is injured and will not play.